JASON Crump, Belle Vue's World champion, has reached speedway's pinnacle by being one of the most professional and best- organised riders in the sport, as well as the most talented.

The 29-year-old Australian's clinical approach is a far cry from the post-war years when madcap riders, unable to achieve the lucrative rewards of today's jet-hopping stars, were more inclined to let their hair down.

You don't have to be mad to race a 500cc motorbike with no brakes but speedway certainly attracted the daredevil element.

Those days have receded and, according to Belle Vue's newly-retired Clerk of the Course Allan Morrey, speedway is no better for it. And he should know!

Morrey, 76, has just handed in his badge after a remarkable 61-year association with the Aces, during which time he has worked with champs and chumps.

"The sport used to be more fun and, normally, the racing was no worse for it," he recalled at his home in Shaw, near Oldham.

"We used to get sell-out crowds of 25,000 at Hyde Road, and what times we had. West Ham used to have a Canadian rider called Eric Chitty, who used to come on to the centre green at the interval and sing to the crowd.

"I don't know what it was about West Ham, but later they had two riders called Howdy Byford and Dennis Newton, who stood there in their leathers and sang duets.

"Bristol had a rider called Chris Boss, who once pinched the hat of our promoter, Johnnie Hoskins, climbed to the top of the Rugby League posts (Broughton Rangers used to play there) and left it up there - on fire!

"He didn't know how lucky he'd been because the posts were rotten and could have snapped at any time.

"Johnnie was a fabulous character who was famous for his hats. All sorts of things happened to them, but he didn't mind because a company in Stockport sponsored them.

"We didn't have much trouble with rain-offs because the circuit at Hyde Road drained very quickly. But a sudden thunderstorm once left it flooded just before a match against Bradford Odsal.

"Two riders, Ron Clarke and Oliver Hart, drove round to the lake, loaded up a boat and then rowed it round the track.

"Hoskins got in for a ride and ripped the seat out of the trousers of his best suit on a nail."

Accelerated

The end of the crazy days was accelerated by the arrival in 1969 of New Zealander Ivan Mauger, one of five riders to bring the World title to Belle Vue during the Morrey era.

He continued: "Ivan was probably the first model professional in speedway. His preparation was immaculate and many tried to copy him or follow his example. But many others were beaten even before the start of a race against him.

"Ivan was on a different level to so many of his rivals. He was the greatest pro I've seen. He brought real sponsorship into the sport and much of how speedway is today is down to him. "For me, Peter Craven was Belle Vue's best World champion. He was small, about the same weight as his bike. He was always perfectly balanced and had true natural ability.

"He won the title twice and it was a tragedy when he died following a crash at Edinburgh in 1963.

"Peter Collins was another great natural - and local - talent. He was in a similar mould to Craven, even down to the initials! It was a great shame he didn't win more than one title because he was worth it.

"We didn't see a lot of Ove Fundin in the year he won it as a Belle Vue man. He dropped in as an injury replacement during the season, won the title on a bike built for him here in Manchester by Harold Gardner, and then he was gone again."

Morrey added: "They were all great riders and I've been privileged to see the best at close quarters.

"Vic Duggan and Jack Parker were probably the best never to win the World title, while Ron Johnson and Tommy Roper were good enough but not hungry enough.

"Johnson was in big business and Roper was never quite dedicated enough, although I read that he's a millionaire anyway."

The good days at Belle Vue were marred, inevitably in a high-speed sport, by tragedies such as the deaths of Craven and also Tink Maynard at Norwich.

Hyde Road was a famously safe track, and the worst speedway accident was when Alan Wilkinson broke his back in 1978. He remains in a wheelchair at his home in Barrow and Morrey has worked ever since on fundraisers for him.

Morrey, who was raised in Cheadle Hulme, started work with the Aces as a 15-year-old bike pusher before becoming pit marshal and then Clerk of the Course in 1958 until now.

He said: "I'm the luckiest man to have had 61 years of my life in a sport I love. I've met hundreds of great sportsmen - and a handful of villains!"